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Archive for Domestic Violence – Page 2

Died July 2014

Nonita Karajevaite (24) was killed by a silver Kia or a BMW car on the A47 near Terrington St John, Norfolk, on Sunday 20th July 2014.

Ms Karajevaite’s death is being treated as suspicious following allegations she was forcibly pushed into the traffic, by her partner Tadas Zaleskas (26) who also died. Norfolk Police said post-mortem examinations revealed Ms Karajevaite suffered multiple injuries, while Zaleskas died from head injuries.

A short time before she was hit, she and her partner spoke separately to an assistant at Worzals Farm Shop and asked that the police be called. Reportedly, both left soon afterwards apparently with no explanation. The police were not called.

Ms Karajevaite was originally from Lithuania and lived in nearby Emneth with Zaleskas, who was also Lithuanian.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Durham of Norfolk Police said he had “sufficient cause for concern that this was more than just a tragic accident”. He said: “The incident is now being treated as suspicious, with the focus being on a line of inquiry which suggests that the woman was forcibly pushed into the carriageway. I’m appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time and may have witnessed the collision – or seen the two pedestrians shortly before the collision – to come forward, no matter how insignificant the information may seem to them.”

Ms Karajevaite was described as white, 5ft 7in, slim, with long auburn-coloured hair. She wore a bright pink t-shirt and may have been barefoot.

DCI Durham said: “We now believe that prior to her arriving at Worzals, Nonita was wearing black trousers with a black and white patterned round-neck cardigan. She was also wearing yellow-framed designer sunglasses and was barefoot.” He added: “It is thought that when she got to the lay-by on the A47, probably due to the weather, she has taken off her cardigan and rolled up her trousers, which gave them the appearance of leggings. A key focus on this inquiry is anyone who may have seen the couple as they made their way along the A47 so, with this new information in mind, I’d be keen to hear from anyone who may have seen Nonita to come forward.”

The man with her was described as white, 6ft 1in tall, slim, with short dark hair, wearing blue denim shorts and a grey t-shirt.

It is hoped that CCTV footage, taken at Worzals Farm Shop may jog people’s memories.

Died 15th December 2013.

Glennis Brierley (64) was found dead at her house in Calf Hey, Shore Road in Littleborough, Greater Manchester on 15th December 2013. She had been stabbed to death by her son with a kitchen knife. She suffered wounds to her neck and chest.

On 12th August 2014, at Manchester Crown Court, Matthew Brierley (45) admitted manslaughter due to diminished responsibility. He was detained under a hospital order.

Ms Brierley was a psychotherapist. Senior investigating officer Duncan Thorpe said of her that she was a “very popular and respected member of her local community”. He added “Her death continues to be keenly felt, not just by her family and friends, but also the people of Littleborough,”.

Brierley is reported to have a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and to have experienced delusions, thinking his parents were members of a satanic paedophile conspiracy. He killed her just two days after he had moved back to her home.

The court heard police went to the property after Brierley called 999 from a phone box and said: “I just murdered somebody”. Brierley said: “I just went for her… I watched myself stab her. Part of me believed you could murder somebody and it would be justified.”

Police said during his interview, Brierley said he confronted his mother over a missing lamp and attacked her after she said she thought he was delusional.

A forensic psychologist told the court Brierley was “largely blameless for his actions because of his disease”.

The case was first investigated by Superintendant Chris Hankinson who, after Ms Brierley’s death, said: “This woman has been murdered in her own home and our focus is on ensuring justice is done and the perpetrator is brought to justice.

Note: This report was drawn from reports in the BBC and the Daily Mirror.

Died 3rd October 2013

Derisa Trenchard (48) was murdered at her home at Polwithen Drive in Carbis Bay, St Ives, Cornwall, on 3rd October 2013. She had died from head injuries.

Ms Trenchard’s husband, Jonathan Trenchard (50), was also found dead with self-inflicted stab wounds to the chest

At an inquest in August 2014 the Coroner Dr Emma Carlyon ruled Ms Trenchard was unlawfully killed by her husband. She ruled Ms Trenchard was beaten to death with a hammer by her husband before he stabbed himself with a kitchen knife.

Police officers concluded Trenchard killed Ms Trenchard using a hammer before stabbing himself in the chest. Pathologist Dr Amanda Jeffery told the inquest the scene “was consistent with the murder of Derisa by her husband and then the suicide of Mr Trenchard” and she did “not believe it to be a suicide pact.”

At the time of Ms Trenchard’s murder, investigating officers from the Devon and Cornwall police’s Major Crime Investigation Team said they were not looking for anyone else in relation to the inquiry.

Ms Trenchard and her husband had 3 sons. She was reported to be devoted to them. She had been married for 24 years and had recently moved to Cornwall from Reading.

The inquest heard her husband had become paranoid and needed constant reassurance about their relationship. In statements Ms Trenchard’s two oldest sons said they noticed a marked change in their father’s behaviour. They said he had convinced himself Ms Trenchard was having an affair. The police reported that there was no evidence of this.

The court also heard from Trenchard’s work colleagues, who said he changed in the months up to the deaths and had been advised to seek medical help. They said he had lost a lot of weight, stopped talking to people and lost his temper frequently. His colleagues told the hearing he began talking to himself about his suspicions about Ms Trenchard and once said if she and their sons left him, he would drive them all over a cliff.

Trenchard was advised to seek medical help and was referred to a counsellor by his GP and offered medication. He had been receiving counselling for depression and irrational thoughts. He was receiving medication for anxiety, but refused to be referred to a mental health team.

Ms Trenchard was reported to have recently booked a holiday in order to renew her marriage vows for the 25th anniversary of her marriage.

A family friend also gave evidence, saying Trenchard had a troubled childhood. His mother had had mental health problems and he left home after falling out with his father, living with another family.

Note: This report was drawn from reports in the BBC

FOD Comment: The BBC reported that Devon and Cornwall Police gave evidence that “checks by officers on the couple’s computers and mobile phones did not reveal any evidence that Mrs Trenchard was seeing anyone else.” It’s of interest that the police appear to have investigated carefully whether the murder victim was or was not having an affair (which in no circumstances would have justified the murder), but appear not to have examined whether there was a history of abuse by the killer. Neither do they appear to have questioned what he disclosed to his counsellor and GP, nor how it was that a man who had such “irrational thoughts” that he threatened to kill his wife and their children while at work, was not referred to mental health services as a matter of urgency, whether or not he consented to the referral.

Died 17th March 2014

Cherylee Shennan (40) was murdered on Hardman Avenue in Rawtenstall in Lancashire on 17th March 2014, dying of multiple stab wounds. She was the mother of a 12 year old daughter and worked as a beautician.

In June 2014, at Preston Crown Court, Paul O’Hara (41) admitted Ms Shennan’s murder and the wounding and assault of two police officers.

O’Hara was jailed for life for Ms Shennan’s murder and given a whole-life tariff. O’Hara was also sentenced to 10 years for attacking one police officer and two years for the assault on the other.

O’Hara had been Ms Shannon’s partner. Her murder was the second homicide of a woman which he had committed. In 1998, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Janine Waterworth, in “very similar circumstances”. He killed her just three days after she ended their relationship, stabbing her 12 times. He was released early on licence in 2013 after serving only 14 years.

Prior to that, in 1994, O’Hara had been sent to prison for two years for wounding and GBH. Once again the victims were women. He wounded one of them and broke the arm of another by throwing her to the floor.

Lancashire Police said Detective Sergeant Damien McAllister and Detective Constable Karen Kenworthy went to Ms Shennan’s home on the 17th March after the probation service had informed them of reports of domestic violence towards Ms Shennan by O’Hara.

Within minutes of their arrival, O’Hara forced his way into Ms Shennan’s home, attacking her with a claw hammer and turning on the police officers as they tried to intervene. He came into the house shortly after police arrived with the claw hammer inside a plastic bag. DS Damien McAlister and DC Karen Kenworthy tried to calm O’Hara down but he started to attack Ms Shennan with the hammer. Ms Shennan broke free and went to the back of the house but O’Hara caught up with her and started to strangle her. The police managed to hit him and one of the officers got her out of the house. O’Hara then went into her kitchen and took a knife and barged through furniture blocking the front door. He chased Ms Shennan and one of the officers, but they couldn’t run fast, due to injuries. He caught up with Ms Shennan who was on the ground and stabbed her five times in the face, forearm and chest.

Neighbours witnessed her kneeling in the street as O’Hara “methodically” rained down blows. A witness, Scott Talbot, described the stabbing as “controlled”. He said “Each stab seemed more slow, in and out in a controlled action. After he pulled the knife out it then went in again”. O’Hara was eventually overpowered with CS spray.

Ms Shennan was pronounced dead at the scene. Paramedics had to work quickly to remove her body because Ms Shennan’s daughter was due home from school.

Graham Reeds QC prosecuting said Ms O’Hara was popular and friendly. He added: “But it is accurate to say that friends and neighbours noticed that after O’Hara’s visits to her home became more frequent she started to become more reluctant to leave the house.”

The court heard that the first incident of violence in the relationship came at the start of November. Her mother Betty and stepfather Johnny went to her house for a bonfire party and found her with a black eye and broken nose. She said she had fallen down the stairs when drunk.

Shortly after Christmas, her friend Linda Slade came to visit and saw injuries. The defendant was also present and appeared tense. She said she had fallen down the stairs.
Mr Reeds added: “She later told her friend that he had fractured her jaw and he had threatened her with a knife on two separate occasions. The friend advised her to disengage from him slowly.”
In March her mother and stepfather heard of the incident and went to her house to see for themselves. Her stepfather rang the police and they arrived at the house.

In a statement Ms Shennan’s family said: “Our family has been torn apart and tormented by this tragedy and our lives will never be the same again. Cherylee will always be loved and we will hold cherished memories forever in our hearts. She will never be forgotten by her family, friends and all that knew her.’ They described her as “precious and much-loved” saying “She will be sorely missed but will always be in our thoughts and in our hearts”. They also praised Lancashire Police “particularly the officers who tried desperately to save Cherylee’s life”.

In sentencing O’Hara, Recorder of Preston, Judge Anthony Russell QC, said he was “very dangerous to women” adding: “This was indeed a most brutal and savage attack. You are a very dangerous man, particularly to women with whom you form a relationship.” He praised the two officers for their “commendable courage”.

Detective Superintendent Eddie Thistlethwaite, of Lancashire Constabulary’s Force Major Investigation Team, led the inquiry. He said: “This was a truly horrendous incident which cost a young woman her life. O’Hara is a predatory and violent individual who manipulated his victims including Cherylee, praying on their craving for love and attention. He has shown no or little remorse throughout this process and his actions fully justify the sentence which has been imposed. I would like to thank the Crown Prosecution Service and Counsel for all their hard work which has resulted in today’s guilty pleas. O’Hara’s admission has at least spared the families the ordeal of having to re-live these tragic events through a trial. I would also like to praise the bravery of all police officers, PCSOs, and paramedics who attended what was a horrific scene. Special thanks must go to Detective Sergeant Damien McAlister and Detective Constable Karen Kenworthy who fought with O’Hara in the vain attempt to save the life of Cherylee. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the family and friends of Cherylee. They have shown enormous dignity and bravery throughout this ordeal.”

The court heard that O’Hara had a ‘personality disorder’ which fuelled violent rages. He had convictions for violence dating back to 1989.

DC Kenworthy said she had never been involved in “such a frightening or horrific incident in 22 years service”. She had bruising to several places on her body. DSMcAllister had a two inch laceration to his forehead and puncture wounds to his temple and bridge of his nose which required 20 stitches.

O’Hara claimed his motive for murder was because he thought the police were about to recall him to prison. He also appeared to blame the police for her death, saying: “She was running down the street scared s**tless. Why didn’t the police help her?”

Died 29th June 2014

Luan Leigh (42) was found dead after police were called to her home in Woodlands Farm Road, Pype Hayes, Birmingham on Sunday 29th June 2014. Her two children were also attacked allegedly in their beds. Her fifteen-year-old son had suffered a stab injury to his chest and her nine-year-old daughter strangulation-type injuries.

Andrew Leigh (42), Ms Leigh’s estranged husband, who lives in Sutton Coldfield and from whom she separated some 18 months ago, is being questioned about the murder and attempted murders.

The children are recovering in hospital.

Investigating officer Detective Inspector Paul Joyce said: “It’s understood that both children were attacked in their sleep; the boy suffered a punctured lung and the girl has a badly bruised neck but thankfully both are expected to make a full recovery. A man has been arrested and, at this stage, we’re not looking for anyone else in connection with this investigation. Enquiries are on-going with neighbours and friends of the family and I’d urge anyone who believes they have information that could aid our enquiry to contact us immediately.”

A local newspaper reported that weeks before her death, Ms Leigh had posted a message on her Facebook page which read: “The most precious jewels you’ll ever have around your neck are the arms of your children.”

A neighbour described Ms Leigh and her children as ‘‘a lovely family and perfect neighbours’’ saying “This is shocking what’s happened”.

Resident John McColgan said the couple’s nine-year-old daughter had an “infectious laugh” and once wrote a ‘get well soon’ letter to him when he came out of hospital. He said: “The little girl, when I went into hospital a few years ago, came round with a letter saying I hope you’re alright. They’re a very private family but she’s one of those little girls where if she was laughing in the garden playing outside you ended up laughing with her. She’s a lovely little girl.”

Other neighbours spoke of their shock at the tragedy and said Ms Leigh appeared to have remained on good terms with her estranged husband since the separation. One said “Even though he lived away, he was always round there.”

Leigh is reported to hold a senior position at Network Rail. An unnamed neighbour is reported to have said that about 18 months ago Ms Leigh told her husband she “wanted ‘some space’ and he moved out to a rented flat in Sutton Coldfield”.

Died 8th August 2013

Caroline Parry (46) was shot dead in Seabreeze Avenue in Newport on 8th August 2013. She was found dead in the street next to her car. After her death neighbours reported hearing three gunshots.

In June 2014 her husband Christopher Parry (49) from Cwmbran, from whom she was separated, went on trial for her murder at Newport Crown court. He denies murder but has admitted manslaughter.

Ms Parry was the mother of two children, a19-year-old daughter and a16-year-old son.

Ms Parry lived in Cwmbran for a number of years, but had recently moved to Newport.

Parry was described as a “controlling and dominant” individual. It is alleged he shot Ms Parry dead because he could not accept she had left him. Ms Parry was shot in the back at close range near her home.

Prosecutor Michael Mather-Lees QC said Parry waited for his wife to leave her new lover’s home on the morning of the shooting, before removing a semi-automatic shotgun from the boot of his car.

Mr Mather-Lees said that after shooting her he then turned the gun on himself, which left him with “substantial head injuries”.

Newport Crown Court heard Parry had been “controlling” during the 27-year marriage.

Mr Mather-Lees said: “Such was the state of the marriage she left and went to live with her mother, telling her husband she would never go back to him. But he could not accept the fact that his wife had left him after years of unhappiness. She later went to live with a man called Gary Bidmead who she had met before she left the marital home.”

In the months before the shooting Parry, who had a shotgun licence and kept three firearms at his Cwmbran home, kept his wife “under surveillance” and phoned her persistently, the jury was told. Mr Mather-Lees claimed the shooting was a “carefully planned scheme” by a man “not prepared to let go”. He said “Parry later claimed it was his intention to kill himself in front of his wife – not shoot her. If that was the case why did he have a semi-automatic with three cartridges? The answer is he was planning to kill her and kill her he did.”

After he shot himself Parry was taken to the city’s Royal Gwent Hospital with serious head injuries and was treated under police guard. It was more than a month before Gwent Police officers could interview him.

The trial continues.

The case was referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) because of prior police contact before the incident.

After the shooting Chief Inspector Huw Nicholas confirmed police were not looking to speak to anyone else about the incident, adding: “This is a tragic incident and our priority and focus is to give the appropriate and specialist support to the families of those involved and to investigate and establish what happened here this morning. While I am limited as to what I can say about the people involved, what I can say is it is known that they had previously been in a relationship which had come to the attention of police. For this reason we have referred the matter to the IPCC.”

After the deaths, Lliswerry ward councillor Allan Morris has told residents not to panic.
He told Wales Online: “People shouldn’t be alarmed. This appears to be a tragic but isolated incident. It is no reflection on the general demeanour of the area. The police response appears to have been magnificent.”

Note: This report was drawn from reports in the BBC and Wales On-line.

FOD Comment: As is usual in cases such as this, we have been unable to find out much about the victim in this case. The media have reported far more about her killer. We do not know the result of the IPCC report, but would be interested to know what protections were put in place for this woman and why this man was allowed a gun licence. We note Cllr Alan Morris’ reference to this as a “tragic but isolated incident”. In fact, such ‘incidents’ are all too common. One of the reasons they are so common is because domestic violence and harassment are not taken seriously enough and domestic homicide is still viewed as family ‘tragedy’ rather than the terrible crime it is.

Found dead 20th June 2014

Nixiann Downes-Clack (27) was found dead on Friday 20th June 2014, in a shallow grave in Mt. Moritz, Granada, in the Caribbean, four days after relatives on the island reported her missing. A post-mortem examination revealed she had been beaten, dying of blunt force trauma and strangulation.

Her husband, Alexander Clack (32) has been arrested for murder. Clack was born and grew up in London but lives in Grenada. He is a British national. It is not yet known whether she is a British citizen.

Delma Thomas, Grenada’s minister of social development, housing and gender affairs said she was “suspected to have been the victim of domestic abuse and gender violence,”.

Ms Downes-Clack had a two-year-old daughter with Clack and had been married for 6 years. Local media reported he had been having an affair with a local teenager.

A local television station said that Ms Downes-Clack was reported missing on Tuesday 17th June after she failed to arrive at her mother’s house to pick up her daughter. They said the body was found near a house that belonged to a teenager that Clack is alleged to have been in relationship with.

On Thursday 19th June Clack is reported to have confessed to the killing. He said Ms Downes-Clack’s body was placed in a suitcase before being buried in a shallow grave. Police said Clack led them to his wife’s remains.

Clack is being detained on a charge of non-capital murder, meaning the death penalty cannot be considered if there is a conviction, according to the Royal Grenada Police Force.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We were informed of the arrest of a British national on June 20 in Grenada. We are providing consular assistance.”

Note: This report was drawn from reports in the Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, the Evening Standard and the Independent.

FOD Comment: We note that there are reports in the Daily Mail that the killer is “the owner of SGU Fish Market, a company that delivers fish to hoteliers, supermarkets and retailers”, that he “is also listed as an Operations Supervisor in (Grenada)” and that, interestingly, “his bio states he ‘worked for several years with the prison service in north London.”. We also learned that “Mr. Clack is also a competent dog handler and dog trainer.’ “

We have been able to discover almost nothing about the victim, with media reports repeatedly referring to her only as the killer’s wife.

Died 3rd December 2013

Jayden Parkinson (17) was found dead on 18th December 2013 in a disturbed established grave at All Saints’ churchyard in Didcot, Oxfordshire. She is believed to have died on 3rd December 2013. A post-mortem examination revealed she died from pressure to the neck.

Her former boyfriend Ben Blakeley (22) is alleged to have murdered her and buried her in his uncle’s grave when he found out she was pregnant. Forensic excavations recovered Ms Parkinson’s body from the grave. Blakeley has admitted manslaughter and perverting the course of justice, but denies murder. However, the prosecution has refused to accept his plea.

Blakeley is now on trial alongside a 17-year-old boy, who pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice, but denied a charge of preventing a lawful burial.

Oxford Crown Court heard that Ms Parkinson died as a result of pressure to the neck. However, she also had “relatively widespread” areas of bruising to her face and scalp which was indicative of being caused by a fist or foot. The pathologist could not determine whether she was pregnant when she died.

The prosecution allege that Blakeley regularly beat Ms Parkinson and controlled her life, threatening to put compromising pictures and videos of her online. He was accused of being obsessive and controlling. The court heard he was so controlling he decided what she could eat

Richard Latham QC, prosecuting, told the jury of five men and seven women that Ms Parkinson had been living at the One Foot Forward hostel in Oxford when she disappeared. She was captured on CCTV leaving the hostel at 3.31pm on 3rd December. She was later caught on CCTV at Oxford railway station with Blakeley and again at Didcot railway station. Hostel staff reported her missing later that evening.

Mr Latham said: “The prosecution case is that Jayden was killed by Ben Blakeley that same evening in open countryside south of Didcot”. He added “We cannot be precise about location for this simple reason – unlike most killings the body was moved from where the offence occurred. There is only one person alive who knows the truth and we would invite you to be very sceptical about what he says or has said.”

Mr Latham said “Ben Blakeley and Jayden had been in a relationship for some time before her death”. He added: “On any view it was difficult. We allege he was controlling, to an obsessive and excessive degree. He was violent and abusive to her and controlling and hitting her. The relationship seems to have come to an end around November 23 last year – so very shortly before her death.”

The jury heard that Blakeley had made 13 videos of Jayden and taken 30 pictures of her naked and she told staff at the hostel that he was threatening to put them on Facebook.

Mr Latham said she was “reporting real difficulties with violence and problems with the videos he had taken of her while they were having sex, of videos he had taken of her in sexual poses. . He was threatening to put those images on Facebook. She also reported that she had been taken to a field by Blakeley in a car and they had slept there. He had taken her shoes and coat and suggested she was a slave for talking to other people. He was so controlling that he told her what to eat.”

A neighbour of Blakeley in Reading recalled seeing Ms with a black eye, describing her as a “quiet girl” who would not say “boo to a goose”.

Mr Latham said “Another witness describes seeing bruising to her neck. She also told someone at the hostel that Blakeley had kicked her in the head. He ordered her not to leave her room even to eat or use the toilet … when she dumped him he called her a whore and said he hoped she killed herself”.

Mr Latham described to the court the controlling behaviour Blakeley allegedly exerted over his victim. He said that when Ms Parkinson first moved to the hostel she would remain in her room on his orders. He said “Jayden explained to a member of staff that she had a boyfriend and she was not coming out of her room because he had told her not to. She was not even to come out of her room for food and was eating crisps and biscuits. She was not allowed to speak to anyone and as a result she had lost all her friends. She was not allowed to shower and had to go to Blakeley’s grandmother’s house in Didcot. She was not allowed to use the toilet and had to use a bottle.” Mr Latham added: “He told her that he knew other people that lived at the hostel and they would report any transgressions to him.”

The court also heard that Blakeley told Ms Parkinson he had strangled a previous girlfriend and he had also thrown away the teenager’s keys and mobile phone.

Mr Latham said: “He made her feel it was her fault that he needed to hit her. You may think this is a classic sign of a bullying and abusive relationship – somehow making the victim feel it is their fault.”

Hannah Ryan, a support worker at One Foot Forward hostel described Ms Parkinson as “quite timid”. She said Blakeley had told her that she could not leave her room even to shower or use the bathroom. Ms Ryan said: “She said he had beaten her up in the past and strangled her in the past. She was left with no friends at all. She said Ben was the cause.” Ms Ryan said she saw her on 24th November after she had split up with Blakeley and said: “She was just really happy.”

After splitting up with Blakeley, Ms Parkinson reported to police the allegations about the videos on 27th November. She told police that Blakeley had asked if they could get back together but she refused because she had ‘had enough of his possessive, controlling and abusive behaviour”. She told officers: “He became angry and called me a whore and he then said the videos and photographs would end up on BlackBerry Messenger and Facebook. He told me that ‘when you see them I hope you kill yourself by jumping off a bridge’. I am terrified he will send them everywhere, which will ruin my life, and I want them deleted.”

The court was told that hostel staff had asked her to take a pregnancy test on 2nd December, which proved positive. She indicated that the father was Blakeley.
As he had confiscated her mobile phone, Jayden asked to use the phone in the hotel’s office in front of staff to ring Blakeley, a call which lasted 45 minutes.

Mr Latham said “He was angry and abusive and saying it was someone else’s and not him that was the father.” The jury heard that on the day of Ms Parkinson’s death she took another pregnancy test which also proved positive and again rang Blakeley.

Mr Latham said Ms Parkinson told hostel staff that she wanted to meet up with Blakeley to persuade him that he was the father even though they questioned the advisability of doing so. She subsequently left to meet him.

Later that day, police, who were investigating the complaint about the video and photographs, arrested Blakeley on suspicion of possessing indecent images.
Mr Latham said he denied the allegations and spoke as if she was still alive.

Jurors were told that a taxi driver had positively identified picking up Blakeley with a large suitcase on 9th December. “He said he wanted to pick up a suitcase because his girlfriend had kicked him out and he had intended to walk to Didcot but the suitcase was too heavy and he had left it down a track,” he said. The taxi driver drove Blakeley down the dark track to the suitcase. Mr Latha, said “The taxi driver describes the case as being more of a trunk than a case. It was so heavy that when the defendant tried lifting it into the boot of the taxi the taxi driver got out to help because he was concerned it was going to damage the boot of the taxi as he tried to lift it in.” Blakeley asked to be taken to All Saint’s Church in Didcot, arriving at 2.15am.

Mr Latham said phone records could put Blakeley and his co-defendant at the church between 2.15am and 4.45am. He said “It is the prosecution’s case that between those two times these two defendants were burying the body of Jayden Parkinson in a grave.” He told the jury that at 5.25am Blakeley and the other accused were caught on CCTV at Didcot railway station waiting for a train, where they separated. At 5.58am Blakeley arrived at Reading station and CCTV footage showed his clothing stained with mud. The suitcase used to transport Ms Parkinson was later found.

The court heard that a care worker reported that Blakeley had been a resident at a home when he was aged 13 or 14. Mr Latham said she remembered he had said “that if he ever had to get rid of a body he would put it in a family member’s grave. Rather a strange thing for a 13 or 14-year-old to say. She asked him why he would do that and the answer he gave was that the bones would get mixed up and cause confusion. The DNA would rub off and no one would bother looking in a grave.”

On 7th December Blakeley was spoken to again and told officers he had last spoken to Jayden two days previously. He tried contacting her at her hostel. Mr Latham said
“She had been dead for days and he knew she had been dead for days because he admits he killed her.” He warned “ You must approach this case with the knowledge that he is a proven and constant liar.”

On 11th December Blakeley was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping Jayden Parkinson. On 12th December he was arrested on suspicion of murder and replied ‘no comment’ to all questions.

The court heard that Blakeley told a prison chaplain that he “deserved the sentence for what he had done”. He also told a prison governor that he had “done everything” to save Jayden and told a prison health worker that he “didn’t mean to kill her”.

Mr Latham said “He needed that health care assistant to know that he hadn’t just chucked her in the hole he had dug, but while he was saying this he was smiling. He said, ‘If I could take it back I would, but now I have told you that can I have a television?’”.

The court heard Blakeley has a history of abusing young girls. The jury heard Blakeley began a relationship with 16-year-old Kirsty Penford in April 2007. Richard Latham said: “Her pregnancy made him upset. He accused her of being unfaithful. When she was seven months pregnant he threw her down the stairs in the flat. He threatened to stab her in the stomach to kill the baby.”

Ms Penford gave birth in 2008. The jury heard the next day Blakeley “lost control” and police had to be called when he marched into the ward and began to wheel the cot away with the baby inside. Mr Latham added: “The relationship was punctuated by outbursts of rage. He was violent to her. He only allowed her to wear makeup to disguise bruises on her face.”

He said Blakeley moved on to a new relationship in 2009 with Katie Gale but by 2011 he had turned violent. Mr Latham said “He started hitting her, he bit her face. Significantly he tried to strangle her.” That relationship ended in October 2012 and, according to Mr Latham, he then began seeing another woman, Sarah Rees, to whom he was also violent.

Died June 2012

Margaret Sheehy (58), known as Margot, was found dead in her flat on Springfield Road in Kingston, South London on 12th June 2012. A post-mortem examination gave her cause of death as asphyxiation.

A warrant was issued for the arrest of her son Sean Heiss (30). He fled the country and is now on trial in Spain for the murder of another woman, Clementina Nauta.

Ms Sheehy worked for the software solutions provider Intelliflo and was the mother of two sons.

Police were called to Ms Sheehy’s address following concerns for her welfare.

The police investigation was led by officers from the Homicide & Serious Crime Command. After Heiss fled to Spain, he was arrested there for a minor offence. Initially, the Metropolitan Police issued a statement: “On Friday 22 June a 28-year-old man was arrested on a European Arrest Warrant in San Sebastian, Spain, in connection with the murder of Margaret Sheehy in Kingston on 12 June.”

In fact, Heiss was arrested by San Sebastian police in the week beginning 18th June, in connection with a minor assault. At some point after that he was released. It is still not known how he was allowed to walk free.

The Death of Clementina Nauta:

Three months after his arrest in Spain, Heiss was arrested in Barcelona on suspicion of punching, kicking and stabbing Clementina Nauta to death at a cash machine one day in September 2012. Ms Nauta died in hospital from her injuries on the day she was attacked. She was a mother of three children.

A Spanish prosecutor wrote: “He repeatedly stabbed her in the throat and face, continuing to land blows and kicks – intending to kill her or, at least, knowing her death would result from the attack.”

Prosecutors added: “Clementina could not put up an effective defence, because the accused continued hitting her as she lay stunned by the pain and stretched out on the floor.”

Ms Nauta’s father, Alexander Nauta, has asked Spanish police why they released Heiss despite the UK arrest warrant. The retired airline pilot said: “She was one of those people who always wanted to help others. She had friends from the lowest of society – students, people on the street – to right up the chain. She loved and got on well with anybody.”

Ms Nauta was a long-term carer for her partner, who had been comatose for six months following a car accident.

If found guilty in Spain, Heiss faces 25 years in prison and fines to compensate Ms Nauta’s parents, children and partner.

Note: This report was drawn from reports in Murder Maps, The London News and the Metro.

Died in 2005

Janet Brown (45) of Hexham, Northumberland was murdered in 2005. Her body has never been found.

Donald Graham (60), of Sparty Lea, Northumberland, was convicted of her murder. In June 2014 a judge at Newcastle Crown Court jailed Graham for life, saying he would not be eligible for parole for 32 years. He had denied murder but admitted fraud.

Ms Brown was a wealthy property developer and occasional television extra.

Ms Brown had been in a relationship with Graham, who was married. During the trial, the court heard him described as a “controlling and manipulative” man who killed Ms Brown, a, to fund a lavish lifestyle. Once having disposed of her body, Graham took advantage of the fact that Ms Brown had planned to go abroad by sending fake postcards from France saying she had found a job.

The trial heard that Ms Brown went missing just before she was due to go on holiday with Graham. After she disappeared up to £400,000 was transferred from her account to Graham’s in the space of a year. He also sold her Porsche, with personalised number plates, on eBay. He then befriended her elderly parents, and when they died went on to strip their estate of £285,000 before trying to get hold of their £300,000 farm. It was only when a building society clerk raised suspicions over a signature on a document that a fraud investigation began. It later became a missing persons inquiry, and eventually a murder investigation.

Ms Brown’s body was not found, despite an extensive search of farmland close to Graham’s home.

Sentencing, Judge Justice Openshaw said: “He was once a JCB digger driver, he could have disposed of her in some deeply-dug pit or put her down one of the many mine shafts in the area, or buried her in some wild and remote place. That he disposed of her body is obviously an aggravating factor.” He added that the fact that the murder was driven by financial gain was another aggravating factor. He said “All these offences were made possible only by the murder and he used the money to fund his extravagant and flashy lifestyle”. He added “The defendant has been convicted of a terrible offence, and must now pay the price.”

Speaking after the verdict Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Musgrove, of Northumbria Police, said: “Graham is a controlling and manipulative man, particularly towards women, a bully who deliberately instils fear into people and uses intimidating behaviour to get his own way. He is a callous man who made it look like Janet was alive when in fact he had, motivated by financial greed, murdered her.” She added “Despite living a seemingly modest lifestyle, Janet Brown had considerable assets – Graham fraudulently accessed these and her parents’ money and squandered everything on a lavish lifestyle for himself.
This has been a long running, complex investigation with many challenges; not least that Graham has never indicated where Janet’s body is. The final piece in Janet’s murder would be for Graham to admit what happened to her and give her family the opportunity to grieve.”

Janet Brown’s family said in a statement: “The last four years have been very difficult for us, dealing with the aftermath of these events. We would like to say that we are pleased with the verdict.”

Denise Graham, who was married to the killer, told Newcastle Crown Court that her husband became “nasty” towards her after starting his affair with Ms Brown. She told the court how, in 2010, Graham forced her to phone a solicitor and pretend she was Ms Brown as part of a scam to inherit her late parents’ estate. Without her knowledge, her husband bought a house in Seaton Delaval and allowed Ms Todd to live there, and she told the jury she only found out later after checking with the Land Registry. Ms Graham was asked if she ever questioned her husband about what he was doing when she spotted his car parked at Ms Brown’s parents’ house near Hexham. She replied: “No. I was frightened by him. I was told by him never to ask where he had been or what he had been doing.”

A jury was unable to reach a verdict on co-accused Elizabeth Todd, who was also having a relationship with the killer. She denied fraud and perverting the course of justice and now faces a retrial.

Died 15th June 2014

Denise Dunlop (32) was stabbed to death at her home in Centuripe Avenue in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland on 15th June 2014. She had been stabbed a number of times.

Richard McAuley (41) of Portglenone, has been charged with her murder and appeared at Coleraine Magistrates Court. He is reported to have been Ms Dunlop’s partner.

Deputy District Judge Laura Levers remanded McAuley into custody.

Journalist Mervyn Jess visited the scene of Ms Dunlop’s death. He said “Residents I spoke to say they didn’t know much about the victim. Most have only moved in over the past six months and they say people keep themselves to themselves.”

The properties were previously used as family accommodation for soldiers on the site of the former St Patrick’s Barracks. They were taken over by the Fold Housing Association and civilian families moved in late 2013.

North Antrim MLA Daithí McKay urged anyone with information to contact the police.
He said: “Of what I understand it was a horrific death so first and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with this young woman’s family. Obviously given the circumstances of her death we would encourage anyone with information relating to it to bring that forward.”

Note: This report was drawn from reports in the Belfast Telegraph and the BBC.